Signal



Apr-i126, 193s. F J A LONDE 1 2,115,271

' Y SIGNAL Filed May 22, 1937 Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to signaling devices and has special reference to improvements in a portable danger signaling device the principal object being to provide as convenient and compact a portable signaling device as possible, and one which may be readily carried about as for example in a truck or other vehicle frequently traversing a highway and subject to the necessity for such.

It is well known that the majority of states require the placing of danger signals some considerable distance in both directions on a highway from a stalled or wrecked truck, and to provide a novel and convenient instrumentality of this type is a further object of the invention.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure l is a front View of one embodiment of the invention with the upper hinged portion of the front of same elevated and partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a combined side and central sectional view, the lower portion of the housing being shown in section.

The preferred form of housing is of rectangular form, narrow, and with the side walls converging somewhat, forming a top materially less in the width than the bottom, and upon which top is mounted a suitable handle for carrying the device about. shown at I, the lower fixed portion of the front wall is indicated at 2, the bottom of the housing at 3, and the upper hinged portion of the front wall at 4. The hinges of this swinging portion of the front wall are illustrated at 6, they being fastened to the top as indicated so that the whole in- 40 terior of the housing is readily accessible by opening this swingable front portion.

At the union of the swinging portion and the fixed portion of the front wall aretwo-spaced circularopenings, half of each circular opening being cut in each abutting edge, the lower marginal walls of which are indicated at l and 8 and the upper The back wall of the housing is 7 indicated at ID, from the front of which is suspendeda pendulum, the rod of which is indicated at H and the pendulum itself at I2. These as well as the clock mechanism may be of any de-' sired construction, the essential element being that the pendulum itself is preferably slightly larger than either the discs 9 or the openings! and 8 in the front of same, and the swinging of the pendulum there, when in action, alternately obliterates and exposes the discs '9 as viewed through the openings 1 and 8. Thus when the device is placed upon a highway, for example, facing in the direction of oncoming tramc and the clock is operated in alternately flashing on and off the reflector discs, they are visible to the 1 driver of an approaching vehicle and very effec-- tively cautions him of the existing danger.

As a means for compensating for irregular conditions of the pavement or surface of the highway where such a device may be used, I have shown an auxiliary base, preferably round in construction and of two separable parts, hinged for example as at l3 upon one side of an upstanding integral socket indicated at M, the opposed protruding halves l 5 of the socket being upright with a suitable wing nut 16 for pinching the depending ball l1 formed integral with the bracket 18 attached to the bottom of the housing of the device previously described. Thus this auxiliary base may be normally held tightly pinched against the depending ball of the housing so that when the signal is placed for example on a pavement it may be slightly off plumb, which the pendulum of the clock will readily indicate, when the attendant may tip the body portion of the device in any direction to bring about a plumb condition of the pendulum and thus insure good operation of the clock mechanism without further attention, and thereby providing an adequate danger signal. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A portable danger signaling device comprising a vertically elongated receptacle having a relatively large flat bottom and a handle attached to the upper end thereof for convenient transportation of same, spaced light reflecting units in the back of the lowermost portion of said receptacle, similarly sized and spaced openings in the front wall of said receptacle, said reflecting units being visible only through said similarly sized and spaced openings, a pendulum suspended within the receptacle and of a size to alternately hide said reflectors from view and means within r the upper portion of said receptacle for rhyththrough said similarly sized and spaced'openings,

matical ly swinging said pendulum. a pendulum swingable back andforth in front of 7 2. A portable danger signal including a housing said reflectors and between themv and said'open} having spaced refleetors'therein, similar-1y sized ings in front ofrsamm an'd means for operating 5 and spaced Openings in the'front wall of said said pendulum'in'cadence. r

--housing, said reflectors 'being' alternately "visible V FREDERICK J. LALONDE; 

